Multiple-unit safety-switchboard



H. F. KRANTZ.

MULTIPLE UNIT SAFETY SWITCHBOARD.

y APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,1918. 4 1,342,547. Patented June 8, 1920. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

MN LHMIUM.

H. F. KRANTZ.

MULTIPLE UNIT SAFETY SWITCHBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE'G. 1918.

1,342,547. Patented June 8, 1920.

, 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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' HUBERT r. KRAN'raoE BROOKLYN. NEW Yonx,.Ass1GNoR1To. x'RAN'rz Tier-Artinianl TUBING COMPANY, INc.,-o1` BROOKLYN, NEW

YORK.

To all whom it may colnlcem:

Be it known that Il. HUBERTv F. KRANTZ,

residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings feeders are effectively removed and separated from thebranch line connections.

Av furtherobject is to arrange the parts so that the main line feeders are contained and protected almost wholly within a separate and distinct compartment adjacent to which the removable switch units lare arranged. v

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts -and applications of principles, constituting the invention; and the scope 'of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are this invention.

position to be moved into assembled rela# tion with tlle'relatively fixed parts of the structure.

Referringto the drawings for describing in detail the structure which is illustrated Specification of Letters Patent.

YORK, ACORPORAV'TION OF NEW MULTIPLE-UN IT SAFETY-SWITCHBOARD.

therein, the reference character L indicates the main, or face, plate ofthe switch board. This is preferably of insulating material such as slate. At the rear of lthe face plate, and extending vertically thereof substantially midway between its o posite edges, is an'elongated houslng G. his housing may be formed 1n any desired manner, but for convenience is illustrated as comprising side-wall members 1 and 2, and a rear wall member 3, the side wall members being flanged, as at 4, for connection with the face plate, and belng flanged, as at 5, for the attachment .of the Wall 3.

Extending vertically within this Ahousing is a set of main line bus bars 6, three such bars being shown as for use in connection with a three wirey system. At intervals along the length of the bus barsyis arranged a plurality of sets of cross bars 7 the opposite ends of each of lsaid bus hars extending through openings 8 formedv in the walls 1 Vand. 2, and said ends projecting a slight Patented J une ,8, 1920. Application med June e, 191s. serial No. 238,5oo.

The cross bars of each set are, of course,

electrically connected only one. with eachof the bus bars, as indicated at 10, 11 and 12 in Fig. 1

The removable switch units are indicated along the length of the housing Gr, there being two switch units for each set of cross bars, one switch unit at Aeach side of the housing.

The switch units may be of 'any suitable or approved construction, but preferably each comprises a rectangular casing substan-4 tially as shown. Each has an opening, as

13, at one of its ends through which the switch blades, or otherjmechanisms, as 14,

comprised in the unit, may coperate with ate with the inner ends of the switch blades in a manner similar to that shown and described in my pending application above referred to.

The switch mechanisms V1'? may be of any desired type, but for convenience of illustration is shown to be similarto that described and claimed in my pending application Serial No. 175,191, that is, it includes a toggle 20 which is adapted to be made and broken by swinging movement of an operating handle 21 to thereby move the switch blade into its on and off positions.

The handle projects exteriorly through the forward face of the casing and .is adapted, when the unit is assembled with the remainder of the switch board, to project through an opening 22 formed in the face plate L so that it may be operated from the forward side of said face plate. In order to facilitate this result, the casing is provided with an extension lug 23 which is adapted to project into the opening 22 so as to carry the pivot 24 of the handle to a point sufficiently close tothe plane of the front side of the face plate that the handle may be afforded an ample. swinging movement without requiring undue enlargement of the opening 22.

Each of the casings H is, also, fitted with a displaced door 25 through which access may be had from the rear of the face plate to the fuses, or even to the switch mechanisms if desired.

As an exemplary means for preventing displacement of the door while the switch is om and the parts within the casing thereby live, the switch mechanism is shown as provided with an extension part 26 arranged to engage a shoulder 27 formed upon a part 28 carried by the door in such manner as to hold the door positively locked whenever the switch blade is on The part 28 also provides a surface portion 29 which stands to obstruct movement of the part 26 into on position while the door is open, thus positively preventing the'switch blade from being moved on except when the door is closed.

The switch units may be removably held in position upon the rear surface of the face plate by any desired means, but for convenience are shown to be supported each by one or more bolts 30 projecting rearwardly from the face plate and adapted to receive nuts 31 within the casing. By this arrangement it becomes impossible to disconnect the unit retaining means except when the switch is off so that the door 25 may be opened to give access to the nuts 31.

In order to attach a switch unit in cooperative relation with the face plate and cross bars it is simply necessary to move the unit so that the switch operating handle thereof passes through the opening 22 as ing or effecting the operation of the other I units.

For larger switch board facilities, a housing Gr with its double row of switch units, may constitute a section which may be duplicated indefinitely along the rear surface of a vface plate, as suggested in Fig. 1, wherein one such section, as A, and a portion of an adjacent section, as B, is illustrated. In such an installation the sections are spaced apart so as to provide a wire channel, as 32, between them, and it may be here noted that each vertical row of switch units on the face plate has a bus bar channel extending vertically along the face plate. at one edge of the row, and a branch line wire channel vertically at the oppositeledge of the row. T he bus bars of the several sets may be electrically connected by main line feeders 33 arranged in any desired manner.

For convenience in manufacture, each section, as A and B, may be constructed with a single face plate L and said face plates be arranged edge to edge to complete in effect a single enlarged face plate carryinga plurality, of sections A-B.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Although the main plate L herein shown and described is termed a face plate, itA will be understood that this term is not intended as a limitation. This plate is, in fact, merely a supporting, or base, plate upon which the switch mechanisms are mounted, and obviously either side, or surface, of the device may be considered the front of the device, according to the requirements of different situations.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A switch board comprising a face plate, a switch unit removably supported at the rear of said face plate and havingcan operating handle projecting through an opening in the face plate for manual operation from the front of the face plate, and said switch unit comprising as a part thereof supporting means for said operating handle projecting into said opening.

2. A switch board comprising a face plate,

. a switch unit removably supported at the rear of .said face plate, and said'switch unit comprising as a part removable therewith an operating handle projecting through the face plate for manual operation from the front of theface plate.

. 18. A switch board comprising a face plate, a switch unit removably supported at the rear of said face plate, and said switch unit comprising. as a part removable therewith a pivotlly mounted operating lever, said lever being disposed when the unit is assembled with the face plate, to project through an opening in the face plate for manual operation from the'front ofthe face plate.

4;. A switch board comprising a face plate a. row of incased switch units supporte thereby at one surface thereof, said switch units each having an independently operable switch mechanism therein, each switch unit having an opening thereinto at one side of said row for entrance of main line connections, a bus bar carried by the face plate extending along the row having parts extending into the mentioned openings of the switch units, and the switch units each having an opening thereinto at the' opposite side of said row forthe entrance of branch line conductors.

' 5. A switch board comprising a faceplate,

aj row of incased switch units supported i thereby at one sprface thereof, said switch units each having an independently operable switch mechanism therein, said rowl of switch units being arranged upon said face plate so as V'to define upon the face plate a main line conductor space at one side of said row, and a branch line conductor space at the opposite side of said row, main and branch line condubtors in said spacesfrespectively, and switch units `each having openings thereinto vcommunicating with said spaces and through which said conductors extend into said switch units.

6. A switch board comprising a face plate having a row`of openings therethrough, a row of switch units supported at the rearV of the face plate one unit for each of said openings and each unit having an operating handle projecting through the respective opening for manual operation from 'the front of the face plate, said row of switch units being arranged upon said face plate so as to define upon the face plate, a main line conductor space at one side ofv said row of units and a branch line conductor space'at the opposite side ofsaid row of unites, and main and branch line conductors in said Aspaces respectively connected with said ductor extending longitudinally within said housing with i which said contacts connect, arow of independently operable switch units supported by the face plate at said side of said housing one positioned for making electrical engagement with each of said contacts, and means whereby said switch units are attachable and removable from the face plate and from said. contacts independently of each other.

8. A switch board comprising a face plate, a plurality of rows of switch units supportediby the face plate at one side thereof, said rows being spaced apart to vprovide alternate main and branch line channels therebetween, main and branch line conductors in said channels respectively, each switch unit having'a main line opening atone end for giving access therefrom to said main line conductors, each of said switch units having a branch line opening at the opposite end, through which said branch line conductors may enter said switch units, and the switch uits of the respective rows being arranged with the main line openings thereof all communicating with a main line channel and with the branch line openings all communicating with a branch line channel.

9. A switch board comprising a face plate, a bus bar extending along one side thereof, a plurality of switch units supported at the same` side of the face plate, switch mechanism comprised in each switch"`"unit operable to derive current from said bus bar at diferent points in the length thereof, an operating handle for operating the switch mechanism into on and off positions, supporting means for said operating handle comprised in the switch mechanism and disposed to support said handle in position for operation from the front of the face plate, each switch unit having a displaceable guard member for its switch mechanism, and means in combination operable to,prevent removal of the guard member except when said handle is .in off position.

10.- In a dead face switch board, a face plate, a bus bar extending'at lthe vrear .of said face plate, a plurality /of switches carried by the face plate at the rear thereof, supbreak connection with the bus bar at spaced lpoints in the length of the .bus bar, each switch having an operating handle project- `ing to the forward face of the face plate,

and said operating handle being formed as a part of said switch and being supported by the same supporting means as supports said switch.

11. A switch board comprising a face plate, a casing vremovably supported at the rear of said face plate, a switch within said casing, and said casing comprising as a part removable therewith an operating handle for said switch disposed to project through the face plate for manual operation from the front of the face plate.

l2. A switch board made up of a face plate, a plurality of bus bars extending therealong in substantially parallel relation adapted for carrying current of different polarities, an elongated casing carried by the face plate containing said bus bars, two roWs of switch units arranged one at each side of said casing, cross bars .electrically connected with said bus bars, each cross bar extending Continuous through; opposite sides of said casing and into association with said switch units, each switch unit comprising 15 means operable to derive current from the respective cross bars, and means rendering the switch units attachable and removable independently of each other.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 20 in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

HUBERT F. KRANTZ.

lVtnesses:

L. GEssroRD HANDY, MAY SCHULZ. 

